QUICK TIPS: PROTECT YOUR IDENTITY

Do not let White coworkers refer to you by the wrong name! This is sometimes a problem for Black employees...being mistaken for other Black coworkers or even being called by a name that is completely foreign to your job site. It's like, "Who is Rofiquio?" Unfortunately, some White coworkers don't think it's critical to remember the names of Black coworkers. For instance, I have been called several variants of my actual name. As a temp, I was called the name of the Black woman who had gone out on maternity leave. Yes, her White coworkers (whom she worked with for years) decided that she had gotten shorter, darker, cut her hair, and had a head transplant--overnight. Therefore, the very next day after she went out on leave, she actually came back as another Black woman! Oh, those wily Black folks! My suggestions is to protect your name. If someone calls you by another name, ignore them. I don't care if they are looking right at you. If they have marginalized you enough to not remember your name, they don't need sh%t from you!!! Yes, I had to go there. Why should you respond to another person's name? Your name has value. Your name is tied to your family history. Do not let anyone degrade it. If you receive email that is addressing you by another name (it's happened to me before), respond to the person by telling them you were mistakenly sent an email. If they say the email was intended for you, call them out on referring to you by the wrong name. If someone walks into your office or cubicle calling you the wrong name, look right through them...like they are air. And, go back to what you are doing. When they call you by the wrong name again, dramatically look around and ask them who they are looking for. Go out of your way to say that you don't know who they are referring to. Make sure they get the point and they don't forget it. People have name plates outside their offices, on their desks or they wear name badges. More importantly, people introduce themselves to each other at work. Someone has to be going out of their way to repeatedly refer to a coworker by another name. So, give it right back to them! Call them by the wrong name! "Hey, Sally!" See how they like it.